Quick Summary: The minimum score needed to qualify for JEE Advanced in the General category for 2026 is the JEE Main cutoff. Based on past performance, it is expected to remain in the 93-95 percentile range. This is not the same as the cutoffs for getting into college. Only students who score higher than this can move on to the next stage. The blog also talks about past trends, things that affect cutoffs, the range of marks that are expected, and why cutoffs change from year to year.
JEE Main Cutoff for General 2026 – Every student must meet the JEE Main qualifying cutoff, which is a minimum percentile score, to take (take with a grain of salt idiom synonym) the JEE Advanced exam. This number is not the same as the score used to get into college. The JEE Main cutoff 2026 is the first step because only students who score higher than the JEE Main cutoff percentile can move on to the next level, which is the JEE Advanced Exam. The NTA JEE Mains cutoff is important for top colleges like IITs because they only accept students who meet this requirement. The National Testing Agency will post the official JEE Main 2026 cutoffs on their website, jeemain.nta.nic.in. This blog will also have the General category cutoff for the JEE Main 2026 once it is announced.
The cutoff for college admission is shared separately during each round of JoSAA counselling. Looking at earlier year data, the expected JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for the General Category is 93.1023262. Candidates can also go through the past year’s JEE Main cutoff for the general category mentioned in this article.
Students should understand that this JEE Main cutoff is only used to qualify for the exam. The qualifying score is released along with the JEE Main result. In the previous year, the session 2 outcome, in paper 1, 12 candidates from the General category scored a perfect 100th percentile and became the JEE Main 2026 January session toppers. In paper 2, 2 candidates also achieved the 100th percentile. Scroll further to read more about the JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for General.
Read More:
- JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Prediction: Category-Wise Qualifying and Safe Marks
- JEE Main Exam Time 2026: Exam Day Shift Timing & Paper Schedule
JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for General Category
NTA will announce the JEE Main cutoff percentile for each category online. You can find the JEE Main 2026 General cutoff on jeemain.nta.nic.in. Students can check the cutoff for general and other categories from the previous year’s JEE Main here until the official release.
Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff list:
| Candidate Category | Cutoff Percentile (JEE Main 2026) |
| General Category | 93 – 95 |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 80 – 82 |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) | 80 – 82 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 60 – 62 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 47 – 49 |
Previous Year JEE Main Cutoff for General
Over the past year, the JEE Main Cutoff for General has mostly stayed between 87.89 and 93.10. To be completely clear, candidates can look at the table below.
Check Out: JEE Main 2026 Marks vs Rank vs Percentile
JEE Main 2020 – 2025 Cutoff for General Category
| JEE Main Exam Year | General Category Cutoff (Percentile) |
| 2025 | 93.1023262 |
| 2024 | 93.2362181 |
| 2023 | 90.7788642 |
| 2022 | 88.4121383 |
| 2021 | 87.8992241 |
| 2020 | 90.3765335 |
Note: The Previous year cutoff table mentioned above is based on official information from the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the official JEE Main website.
What Does Historical Data Say for JEE Main 2026 General Cutoff?
Based on previous years and current estimates, the JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for the General Category is likely to stay between the 93.5th and 95th percentile, with slight changes due to exam difficulty and the number of candidates. This implies that qualifying marks can be in the range of 90120 (in JEE Advanced), with the higher goal of scoring above 200 marks (95 percentile and above) being more assured in the best NITs and IIITs. The JEE Main cutoff percentile varies each year but usually remains in the low 90s for general candidates, and stays near 80–81 for OBC, 61–62 for SC, and 48–49 for ST categories.
Check Out:JEE Main Percentile Calculator 2026: How to Calculate Percentile With the Help of Answer Key
How is JEE Main Cutoff Calculated?
It’s a common misconception among students that the JEE Main cutoff is determined by set marks. The cutoff is calculated using a percentile-based system, which depends on overall student performance rather than just (just in case definition) your individual score.
Here’s how it actually works:
- Number of students appearing for the exam
- Difficulty level of the question paper
- Total seats available
Even though these are not the only reasons affecting the cutoff, students should understand that the JEE Main cutoff of the previous year changed mainly because of these points.
Check Out: What is a Good NTA Score in JEE Main 2026?
Minimum marks in JEE Mains to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026
The JEE Main 2026 cutoff for the General category is expected to stay between nearly 100 and 92 percentile. This estimate is based on last year’s cutoff trend and exam difficulty. To know the minimum score required in JEE Mains to qualify for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates can refer to JEE Main 2026 marks for the 92nd percentile. It is likely to be around 77 to 80 marks. Aspirants should keep in mind that this score depends fully on the difficulty level of JEE Mains and the overall performance of candidates.
Factors Affecting the JEE Main Cutoff for General
The points given below help in deciding the JEE Main Cutoff for General 2026.
- Past year trends of JEE Main cutoff for general
- Total number of candidates who appeared in JEE Main
- Overall performance of students
- Difficulty level of the JEE Main 2026 cutoffs
Author: Saumya Sarin
Content Team: Motion Academic Team
Reviewed by: JEE Faculty – Motion Education
Last Updated: April 2026
FAQs on JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for General Category
Q: Has the JEE Main 2026 result been released?
The JEE Main 2026 Session 2 result has not been released yet. The National Testing Agency (NTA) had earlier announced that the Session 1 result would be declared on February 12, 2026. For Session 2 (April 02, 04, 05, 06, and 08, 2026), the results are expected to be released after the exams are conducted and evaluated. Candidates can check their results on the official NTA website (idioms website) — jeemain.nta.nic.in once they are published
Q: What is the expected JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for the General Category?
The JEE Main cutoff 2026 for the General category is expected to be around the 93rd-95th percentile, which roughly means 80–95 marks out of 300. The last cutoff will be based on the difficulty of the exam and the performance of the students in the exam. The official NTA JEE Mains cutoff will be announced after the exams.
Q: When will the JEE Main cutoff 2026 be announced?
The JEE Main 2026 cutoff for the General category is likely to be released after Session 2 results in April 2026. The January session cutoff may come in mid-February, but the final JEE Main qualifying cutoff is usually declared after Session 2 for JoSAA counselling and JEE Advanced eligibility.
Q: What percentile is 120 marks in the JEE Main cutoff percentile?
Scoring 120 marks in JEE Main 2026 usually gives a percentile between 96 and 97. The exact percentile depends on how tough or easy the exam shift was.
Q: How many types of JEE Main cutoffs are there?
There are two types of JEE Main cutoff. One is the qualifying cutoff in JEE Advanced created by NTA. The other is the cutoff for college admission, decided by JoSAA, which varies by college, branch, and category. One decides eligibility, the other decides the seat.
Q: What is the JEE Main cutoff for General 2026 for IIITs?
Under the JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for General, top IIITs usually need 97–99 percentile, which is about 140–200+ marks. The mid-level IIITs usually take 95-97 percentile or about 130-150 and above marks. JoSAA publishes final cutoffs and the highest-ranked seats in CSE typically require ranks of less than 10,000.
Q: Is 75 percent in Class 12 required for JEE Main?
There is no such requirement that one needs to have 75% marks to appear in JEE Main. Students, however, require 75 percent or the top 20 percentile marks in Class 12 to be able to get admission into NITs, IIITs and CFTIs. SC and ST candidates must have more than 65%. This is applicable in counselling and not the exam.
Q: What is the JEE Main admission cutoff 2026?
The JEE Main 2026 General cutoff for qualifying is expected to be around the 93rd–95th percentile. The NITs and IIITs admission cutoffs are higher in many cases (above 120 marks or more) to secure admission in top branches and institutes.
Q: What is the JEE Main Cutoff 2026 for General Category for CSE?
According to the recent analysis, CSE has an average General category closing rank of less than 5,000 AIR in leading NITs. Top NITs close around 1,000 -3,000 AIR, whereas mid-tier NITs close around 5,000-25,000 AIR.
